Signal device for automobiles.



UNITED STATES PATENT UFFIGE.

ALEXANDER WTNTON AND HARLB B'. 'ANDERSDN, Ofi' CEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNRT8 WINTQN MOTOR CARRIAGE CQMAN Y, OFQCLEVELAND, G12-IIC).

SIGNAL DEVICE FOR AUTOBIOEILES.

To all 10710772, it may concern.'

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER lViu'roN and HAROLD B. AnnnnsoN, citizensolf the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahogaand State of Ghio, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inSignal Devices for Automobiles, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

Our invention relates to improvements 1n signal devices Aforautomobiles.

The object of our invention is to provide an automobile signal deviceoperatedthrough the steering ^olumn,`whereby it is in ready access tothe driver of the auto and can be readily operated by either hand.

Another object of our invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich is sirnple in construction and arrangement of parts and hascertain details of structure hereinafter more fully forth.

In the accompanying drawings the figure is a vertical sectional view ofa steeringy column showing` the signal diagrainmatically.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the steering column having`the usual spark and the throttle levers. etc., arranged thereon andwhich needs no ifurthcr description, as our device is applicable to anysteering column. As shown in the drawings, the spark lever or thethrottle level' 2, whicl'iever it may be, is mounted upon i tube 3 andhas the upwardly projecting aange l, the purpose of which will behereinafter more 'lully described The tube 3. as shown, tends entirelythrough the steering column Iand has mounted thereon below 'the saine alever or crank arm 5, as s woll understood. The tube 3 has extendingtherethrough a rod 6, which has a 'free longitudinal movcmenttherethrough and which is held in the center of the tube b v means olthe blocks 7. The. upper end of the rod G extends above the flange Lland is provided with a cap '8, which is rigid-ly secured to the rod andadapted to pass over the upwardly projecb ing [lange 4 of" tho spark orvthrottle lever, whichever it might be. and is free to move verticallythereon. Within the cap and surrounding;r the rod il is a coiledspring!y 10, which has its upper end bearing against the upper end ofthecap and its lower end bearing against' the upper end of the tube il,whereby the cap and the rod 6 are normally Specification of LettersPatent.

Application alec. .my s, iena.

Patented Aue'. 18, 1914.

Serial No. 777,945.

held in their upward position, as will be readily understood. rThe tube3, below he crank arm 5, is provided with an insulated bushing l1, whichis threaded onto toc tube 3. Screwed within the lower end of theinsulated bushing ll is a contact 1i), to which is connected theinsulated wire l'I-l, running; tothe electric horn, hereinafter fully described. This arrangement of the contact below the steering column makesit very accessible in case of a short circuit, and it is also impossiblefor water or dirt to get linto the contact proper. The Contact betweenthe rod G and the Contact 12 is in the forni of a ball lil, whichnormally held upwardly by a spring l5 away from the contact 1Q, which'Further insures oi' a breaking of the circuit when `the cap on theupper end of the The wire 13 leads to the rod o is released. electrichorn lil and the other pole of the operating' means of the horn isconnected to the wire 1,7, which leads to the battery 18. The battery'by means of the wire 19 is grounded to the machine and, as shown, isconnected to the support Q0 of the steering column. By this arrangementit will be seen that the circuit is completed through the rod 6.

V-laving` thus described our invention, what we claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent isf;

1. The combination with a steering column ot an automobile, o." a signaland a circuit closure passingthrough the steering column 'fer closingthe circuit below tho lower end ot the column for operating said signal.

rlhe combination with a steeriiw column or' an automobile. ot aA signaladjacent thereto, a rod passing` through the steering column, a pushbutton rigidly carried by the upper end of the rod, means carried by thelower end of the rod below the steering column ior closing the circuitto the electric signal.

The combination with a steering' column oi an automobile, of anelectrically operated signal having one pole thereof grounded lto themachine, a rod passing through the steering;` column and adapted toclose the circuit below the lower end of the steeringr column betweenthe grounded wire and the other wire of the signal.

Il. The combination of a steering column of' an automobile, of anclectricallv operated signal, a rod passing through the steering column,a push button secured to the rod above the steering column, a springsurrounding the rod and normally holding the button 1n an upwardposition and means carried by the lower end of the rod below the lowerend of the steering column for closing the circuit to the electricallyopcrated signal.

5.- The combination with a steering column of an automobile, oi athrottle operating tube passing through the steering' column, anelectrically operated signal, a rod passing through the throttleoperating tube, an insulated bushing carried by the lower end of thethrottle operating tube below the steering column and into which the rodpasses, and an electrical contact within the bushing and connected toone pole of the electrically operated signal and the other pole groundedto the machinefwhereby the circuit .is closed through the rod..

6. The combination with a steering column of an automobile, a throttletube passing through the steering column, an electrically operatedsignal, one pole of said signal grounded to the machine, an insulatedbushing carried by the lower end of the throttle tube below the steeringcolumn,

a contact carried by the bushing and connected to the other pole of theelectrical-ly. operated signal, a rod passing through the steeringcolumn and into the bushing, a cap carried by the upper end of the rodabove .the steering column, a coiled spring surroundingl the rod, andengaging the cap and normally holding the same and the rod in its upwardposition, whereby the down- Ward movement ot' the cap causes the lowerend of the rod to form an electric connection with the contact in thebushing.

7. lhe combination with the steering column, of a signal, an insulatedbushing earriod by the lower end of the steering column, a circuitclosure within the bushing and a rod passing downwardly through thesteering columnv and adapted to close the circuit closure for operatingsaid signal.

8. The combination with steering column, of an electrically operatedsignal, a bushing carried by the lower end of the steering column, acircuit closure within said bushing and a rod extending throu hthesteering column and-operated from its lower end and adapted tooperate the circuit closure to the electrically operated signal.

9. The combination with a steering column of an automobile, of anelectrically operated signal, one pole of said signal grounded tothemachine, an insulating bushing carried by the lower end of the throttletube below the steering column, a Contact carried by the bushing and'connected to the other pole of the electrically operated signal, a rodpassingthrough the steering column and into the bushing, and a polewithin the bushing and normally held upwardly by a spring and away fromthe contact, whereby it is depressed by the downward movement of the rodto complete the circuit with the contact carried by the bushing. A

l0. rlhe combination with the steering column of an automobile, of anelectrically operated signal, an insulated bushing car ried by the lowerend of the steering column, a circuit closure within the bushing forsaid signal, and a rod passing through the steering column and adaptedto operate the circuit closure, substantially. as shown and described.

-11. The combination with a steering column of an automobile, oli' anelectrically operated signal, an insulated bushing carried by the lowerend of the steering column, a

circuit closure within the bushing and normally held open by a spring, arod passing' downwardly through the steering column andl operated fromthe upper end of the steering column for closing the circuit closure,whereby the electrically operated signal is set in operation.

1Q. Thel combination with a steering column of an automobile, of anelectrically operated signal adjacent thereto, an insulated bushingcarried by the lower end of the steering column, a contact carried bythe lower end of the bushing andconnected to the signal, an upwardlyspring-pressed member carried bythe bushing and held away from theContact, a rod passing through the' steering column yand operated fromits upper end and having its lower end normally in engagement with theupwardly spring pressed member, and means .whereby the said rod'may beforced downwardly for causing the spring-pressed member to engage thecontact closing the circuit to the electrically operated signal.

In testimony whereof we hereunto alliii our signatures in the presenceof two .wit-

nesses.

ALEXANDER WINTON.v HAROLD B.v ANDERSON. Witnessesz' M. J. WARD, G. M.LAVELLE.

